The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-09-07
considerable Inconvenience, both to patients
and doctors. She is thus quoted on this subject

in the Post:
81 am differently situated from the majority
of them. My speciality is ophthalmoloey, and
am surprised that more ladies do not adopt that
branch of the profession The treatment of the
eye is such a delicate matter and requires
many delicate little operations that it is work
for which women specially fitted And
then it is work which does not call out OF
bed In the middle of the night, which often hap
pens in the other branches of the profession
/ only know OF two other lady oculists in this
country-one is DR.. Sargent, Of San Francisco.
daughter of the late Senator Sargent and the
other is Michigan lady. think they practice
In diseases of the ear. well as the eye. Most
oculists do but confne myself to diseases oe
the eye. OF course, must always keep up my
general medical knowledge, for one cannot treat
the eye without understanding its relations
with all the other parts of the body"
s.How long is it since the ladies first took to
the profession Of medicinea" the Doctor was
asked
II am not quite sure. but thirk il Is abont
twenty five years. / think it was about the
time of the civil war. Do you know. fancy
that same war did moro than anything else to
make American women, and after these, women
generally. moro independent and self-reliant
When all the mon were away from home on the
battle fields and the women wers left to look
after themselves. think they necessarily con-
tracted habits OF helping themselves which
nothing but some great necessity could have
produced, and then. having fallen into
habits of self-help. they have never
felt like going back to their old dependent,
helpless habits. What was at fret necessity
of this country were the first open their doors
to Us. But France, and England. and other
European countries were not far behind, and,
indeed, in this movement the English women
were fully abreast with the march of the women
in this country. As soon it decided to
admit women to practice in this country the
English women who were demanding the same
privilege in their own country came over hera TO
take advantage of the open door, Indeed.
think that the very first lady doctor. DR.. Mary
Blackwell, who is now engaged in writing
articles social purity topics, English
woman. John Brght's niece. who is now
practlcng in Edinburgh. came over to Boston to
get in the Woman's Hospital. of Boston. the ex-
perlence which was denied her in Europe, even
after she had diploma from. I think, the
University of Paris. AT that time there was no
practical experience. But now there
era. Women now admitted to the study and
practice of medicine In most Of the capitals of
Europe"
II understand there is great demand for
lady doctors in Asia and Africa"
Yes. / fancy that the need of lady doctors
IN India was the principal reason which per-
leges. You see when there were no lady doctors
in India. the native women were practically
without medical treatment, owing to the social
rule which prohibits the intermincng of the
sexes, and precludes a gentleman, even a physi-
clan. from entering a room in the presence of
any woman but his own wife. No matter how
sick an Indian woman is. she cannot be seen
socleties having learned this. are now giving
their lady missionaries a medical education on
condition that they pledge themselves to the
service Of the society for five years They find
that If you introduce medicine first you can in
troducs religion much more readily afterward."